Best Ways to Improve Manufacturing Productivity

By David Thompson

Oct 04, 2022 11:40 AM EDT

Photo by Lalit on Unsplash(Lalit on Unsplash) (Credit: Getty Image)

If you own a manufacturing company, having simplified and effective processes is essential for maximizing productivity, revenue, and customer happiness. From the healthcare sector to the automobile industry, almost every type of business requires a productive system that can help them realize their business potential.

Out of all economic sectors, manufacturing companies have among the greatest industry survival rates. During the second quarter of 2022, productivity in the manufacturing sector rose by 5.5 percent in the United States. To maintain high survival rates, small company owners in the manufacturing sector should continue giving productivity growth top priority.

However, what does it mean to increase manufacturing productivity? What steps should your company take to enhance manufacturing productivity?

For your convenience, we've whittled the list down to the top strategies for boosting industrial productivity.

#1. Evaluate Your Production Line

Assess each component of your manufacturing line next. Pay close attention to your company's average unit production rate, or throughput, which you can measure. Any problems you encounter with certain equipment will be brought to light by this measurement. 

Your capacity usage is yet another crucial statistic to examine. The capacity of your overall manufacturing production per plant at any one time must be determined for this measurement. By analyzing capacity utilization, you can determine which manufacturing lines produce at their maximum capacity. 

#2. Staying in Sync with Latest Manufacturing Trends

One of the finest methods to increase productivity in the manufacturing sector is to keep up with the newest technological advances. WuXi Advanced Therapies focuses on analytical development and cell line characterization to keep improving its manufacturing productivity. 

Be vigilant if you want to compete in the ever-evolving world of digital technology. Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, augmented reality (AR), and many other technical innovations are now prevalent in the sector.

#3. Regular Employee Training Programs 

The newest technological developments are almost useless if your staff isn't instructed on how to use them. Additionally, because technology advances so quickly, engaging in your employees' ongoing education and training is essential if you want to increase manufacturing output. This is a helpful tactic to incorporate into your plan for dealing with the labor shortage in the industrial sector.

#4. Proper Communication

The dream is made possible by teamwork, right? Even if it's cheesy, it's still true. Making sure that your staff has open channels to express their opinions can increase productivity in the manufacturing sector since you'll be informed about concerns you would not otherwise be aware of. Effective communication will also support your attempts to align the staff with the company's main objectives.

#5. Adequate Equipment Maintenance

Maintaining manufacturing equipment should be one of your top priorities, especially regarding productivity, because replacing it may be highly expensive. Business equipment loans are beneficial in defraying these expenditures. 

Still, it's equally crucial to ensure that personnel is skilled machine operators to maintain machinery running at maximum capacity. It will be much more difficult to increase productivity in the production process if your staff cannot identify faults and adjust the machinery appropriately.

#6. Get Rid of Production Bottlenecks

When there is a malfunction somewhere in your production process, bottlenecks develop. People frequently believe that flaws in machinery or equipment cause bottlenecks. However, the "human" parts of an organization's operations are where the most expensive bottlenecks are found. 

Incorrect categorization of machine-driven bottlenecks as machine failures by managers might conceal the fact that a poorly executed preventive maintenance program is the underlying problem. On the other hand, a technician's protracted response time may adversely affect your capacity to resume normal operations. 

However, some bottlenecks are simply administrative. Do you typically require sign-off clearance before moving forward? Do basic part replacements, for instance, need clearance, which increases your downtime?

#7. Work on the Factory Floor Layout

Image by Marcin from Pixabay
(Photo : Marcin from Pixabay)

The layout of the industrial facility is very important for improving production efficiency. This is mostly because it simplifies the flow of laborers, raw materials, works-in-progress, and finished commodities. 

Effective floor layouts must guarantee that production schedules are met in the short, mid, and long periods and at a lower cost while appropriately using space and, as a result, assuring a certain level of flexibility for future re-layouts and minimization of health/security hazards at work.

For instance, workers on the floor should have easy access to tools. Additionally, finished goods must be close to the parking area and the warehouse or storage space. 

The workers benefit from an easy user experience because of the logical positioning of their workspaces and equipment, which boosts productivity throughout the production line.

Final Thoughts

Production efficiency is ultimately a crucial indicator that may increase output while reducing the drawbacks of efficiency increases. 

A crucial first step in knowing where your company stands is using solutions intended to track and evaluate every production stage. Doing so makes it easier to spot and eliminate bottlenecks across your operations.

© 2024 VCPOST, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics